William hanlon



t. e e h. S .w e e h 3 3 N O L N A H d 0 M m THEATRIOAL SGENERY AND APPLIANCES. No. 263,900.

Patented S p 5' 8 2:

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THEATRIGAL SOENBRY AND APPLIANCES. N0. 263,900. Patented Sept. 5-, 1882.

N. PETERS, Phololilllcgmphun Washinglon, D. C.

v UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

WILLIAM HANLON, OF NEW YORK, n. Y.

TTHEATRICAL SCENERY AND APPLIANCES.

srnorricA'rrolv forming part of Letters Patent No. 263,900, dated September 5, 1882.

Application filed February 13, 1882. (No model.)

ances, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to stage-scenery for theaters; and it consists in mechanism, apparatus, and scenes generally, which, when combined and properly operated, produce the effect to the audience of a ship or steamer in dock. It would also give the successive impressions of the same leaving the dock, passing out of the harbor, and finally at sea in rough water. Further, in constructing the apparatus constituting the ship in such a manner that the interior as well as the deck may be exposed at will; and, finally, in many details of construction, all of which will be more fully set out in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, "whichform part thereof. T

The object of this invention is to so' construct the stage-sceneryin' a theater and operate the same that by moving the scenes'at the side of the representation of the ship, and which are commonly known as wings, the ship will be made to appear as if she were moving out to sea, while in reality she remains in one place; and my object is, further, to provide means to rock the shipwhen it is supposed to be out at sea, and also expose the saloon and staterooms to enable the audience to see the acting carried on in the ship.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan "iew of a. stage having my improved scenery arranged thereon. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of same as seen from the auditorium. Fig. 3 is an end view of the ship at seawith the interior exposed. Fig. 4 is'a longitudinal section of the ship shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the framing of the apparatus which constitutes the hull of the ship. Fig. 6 is a view of rear or wall scene when the curtain rises, but is arranged before and hides all the apparatus constituting the ship and auxiliary apparatus. Fig. 7 is the true rear or wall scene, and is arrangedbaok of the ship. Figs. 8 and 9 are scenes representing the dock in which the ship is first seen. Figs. 10 and 11 'are scenes which are used to give the audience the impression that the ship is moving out of the harbor, and Fig. 12 shows a jointed scene on end.

A is the stage.

B is the ship. Y

O is the true rear or wall scene, and is so constructed and painted as torepresent a distant horizon as would be seen at sea, and fills the whole of the stage, as shown, when the wings have all been removed. D D D D and E E E E are side wings, and are respectively arranged on either side of the ship B. The scenes D and E represent the dock, and are clearly shown. in Figs. 8 and 9, and scenes D and E are clearly shown in Figs. 10 and 11. The remaining side wings may show any other scenes desired-as, for instance, the land becoming more and more distant. The wing E is provided with an opening, 1?, representing adoor from the shed or house on the wharf, and through which the persons pass to go upon the ship.

F is the only scene which appears when the curtain rises, and is made or painted to represent the house or shed on the wharf, previously referred to, and is provided with a. door or opening, f, through which the people appear to see the ship, and through which some of the persons may go aboard the ship but this door is not necessary. I

The ship B consists of the floor it, supported upon rockers Q, and upon which are erected the upright supports It, the tops of which are braced together, and the bottoms of which pass through the floor It and are supported upon the rockers Q. Supported upon the top of the posts or supports R are the floors S, and supported upon said floors and covering the space between said supports R are the boards B, one of which has an opening, J, through it, upon or over which is fitted the skylight J, which is constructed so as to allow a person to fall through it easily, when desired, during the acting. posts S R, which constitute the deck of the ship, are surrounded with a railing, as shown. Toward the part representing the stern and upon the deck is a wheel, K, corresponding to the steering-wheel, and on the other side of the skylight and farthest from the audience is ahouse, L, with an opening into it on one side, and an opening out of it in the rear to the steps L which lead, unseen to the audience, to the The , through the skylight may be received.

stairs L in the saloon B Any other convenient way of getting from the deck to the saloon-stairs may be used. The saloon B is bounded on the rear with the stairs L and a door, I), and on the sides by the state-room doors b and their supporting-walls, which are provided with transoms b and are secured to the supportingposts B. These walls divide off the state-rooms B on each side of the saloon, as shown in Fig. 3. The compartments B are partitioned off, as at B (dotted lines, Fig. 4,) taking in one door next to the audience, and this division is provided with berths, as shown. These berths and parts of the walls, 850., are

padded, as at b, to enable the actors to fall against them without injury. The rest of the compartments B open into the saloon by all of the remaining doors I), it not being necessary to have any more than two complete staterooms. All of the doors I) are hinged and adapted to open or close. The center of the saloon is provided with a table which may be padded, and upon which a person falling The end of the frame is made at M to represent a foreshortened sailing-vessel or steamship, as shown in Fig. 2. Upon either side of the ship B are hung in davits small row-boats.

v H is a curtain painted to represent the stern of the vessel, as shown in Fig. 2, and is arranged to be dropped down to expose the interiorof the vessel,the state-rooms, and saloon, as shown in Fig. 3. In front of this curtain at the bottom is a scene-board, G, which represents a part of the wharf, as shown in Fig. 2,

and to its rear is secured a part of the seacloth I, as shown in Fig. 4, it being designed to turn over flat upon the stage when the ship is supposed to leave the dock. Secured all around the ship B near its bottom is the seacloth I, and which, when the ship is supposed to be in dock or while moving outof the har bor, islying flat upon the stage and under the wings, as shown in Fig. 1. The ship is rocked by cables S passing through the floor of the stage.

The wings E D, &c.,'may be made solid, or may bejointed, as shown in Fig. 12, in which the sections 0 are hinged at 6, so as to allow the wing to be shut up as it is drawn forward to enable it to be more easily handled or more easily bent around.

The compartments behind the state-rooms are open to the rear of the body of the ship.

The scene E is designed to prevent the audience seeing through the door P behind the stage.

1 do not confine myself to the detail con-v struction, as it may be greatly-modified.

The apparatus would be operated substantially as follows: The scenes and other apparatus being arranged as shown in Fig. 1, the people are seen passing before the scene F, (shown in Fig. 6,) and, if desired, may be seen going on board the ship. This curtain is then lifted, or, if it be made in two halves, it may be slid back upon the stage on each side, ex-

posing the scene shown in Fig. 2. Here the people are seen ascending the gang-plank 0 from the door]? of the dock on board the steamer. The gang-plank may then be pulled away, and the ship moves out of the dock slowly. This effect is produced by turning down the board G slowly and sliding the wings E and D slowly toward the audience, thus gradually exposing new scenes, E and D, and so on, until the last of the wings have been slid away and the ship is out to sea. Then the horizon-scene 0 alone will be seen. In the meantime the ship has been made to rock gradually by pulling the cords S, and the sea-cloth is put in motion. The efi'ect may still be increased by providing means to let steam escape out of the stack and at times ringing a bell or sounding a whistle. The steam may be brought from behind the scenes or from below the stage by a pipe. The storm may be made light or increased to any extent, and by proper and appropriate acting the scene may be made to appear most real. Before or at this juncture the curtain H may be dropped and the interior of the ship exposed, when the actors may beseen,

under all circumstances adapted to the act.

It will be understood that any desired kind of acting may be had, as my invention has nothing to do therewith, it consisting in the construction and adaptation of the apparatus herein set forth to give the illusion to the audience of amoving shipand onein rough water.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Apparatus to give a stage effect of a ship moving out of a dock, which consists of a sta tionary frame representing a vessel, in combination with sliding wings arranged close to said vessel and on each side thereof, and adapted to slide from the rear of the stage to the front thereof, substantially as audfor the pur pose specified. I

2. In stage apparatus, a frame represent ing a ship having an upper deck, a saloon and state-rooms under said deck, and supported on cured about said frame, and a curtain painted to represent the outside of a portion of said ship,and adapted to be removed to expose the saloon and state-rooms, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In stage apparatus, the combination of a frame representing a ship or steamer with an upper and lower deck, and-staterooms located on the lower deck and within the frame, sub stantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In stage apparatus, a'frame representing a ship having an upper and alower deck, and open on one end to expose the interior of said frame to the audience, in combination with a curtain or equivalent means painted to represent the exterior of the ship, and adapted to cover the open part of said frame, and also to be removed, when desired, to expose the inte- Eior, substantially as and for the purpose speci- IIO .rockers, in combination with a sea-cloth se- 5. In stage apparatus, the combination of the frame B, representin g a ship having an up per and lower deck, supported on rockers, curtain H, scene G, and sea-cloth I, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. In stage apparatus, the combination of the frame B, representing a ship having two decks and state-rooms, rockers Q, sea-cloth 1, scene G, curtain H, scene 0, wings D D, 850., and E E, &c., "and means to rock said frame, substantially as described.

7. In stage apparatus, a frame, B, representing a ship having two decks and state-rooms, in combination with rockers Q ,curtain H, scene Gr, wings D D, &c., and E E, & c., scenes 0 and F, and means to rocksaid frame, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. In stage apparatus, a frame representing a ship having an upper and lower deck, and state-rooms provided with pads b, in combination with rockers arranged under the same, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

'9. In stage apparatus, a frame representing a ship having an upper and lower deck, said lower deck being divided into a saloon with state-rooms on either side thereof, said staterooms opening into said saloon bymeans of 11. The combination of the frame B with an upper and lower deck provided with a saloon, B state-rooms B, partitions separating the saloon from the state-rooms, said partitions being provided with doors b and transoms b and suitable'padding, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

. WM. HANLON.

Witnesses:

FRANK P. Lnwrs, Ms. W. CHAPMAN. 

